Cohen Pulls Out of Supervisor Race; Giannini Seeks Justice Seat

The East Hampton Democratic Convention is set for Wednesday, and there looks to be at least one floor fight brewing, though it may not be the one that was expected.

Zachary Cohen, who lost by 15 votes to Town Supervisor Bill Wilkinson during the last election, was pushing for the nomination over Larry Cantwell, whom the screening committee recommended to run for town supervisor. Cantwell also has the support of the Independence party.

"On Monday, I sent out an email withdrawing my candidacy for the floor vote for supervisor and asked that they support Larry Cantwell," Cohen said on Tuesday.

Asked if he would seek the nomination for town board, Cohen declined to comment. Political insiders said that Cohen and Kathy Cunningham, the chairwoman of the Quiet Skies Coalition who screened for town board, will mount a floor fight. The screening committee recommended Kathee Burke Gonzalez, the president of the Springs School Board, and Job Potter, a former town councilman. Cunningham did not immediately return a call for comment.

Either way, Cohen said he will be at the convention, which takes place at St. Michael's Lutheran Church in Amagansett at 7 p.m.

Meanwhile, Joseph Giannini, a Springs criminal defense attorney, confirmed that he is ready for a floor fight for the town justice nomination. The screening committee recommended Steven Tekulsky, an East Hampton attorney, for the nod.

"I really believe I will make a better town justice than Steve Tekulsky or Carl Irace based on my experience and my character," Giannini said on Tuesday. The East Hampton Republican Committee nominated Irace, a former town attorney, in March.

Giannini said that he will be nominated during the conventions, and once the nomination is seconded, committee members representing the districts will vote. A member of the committee, he will vote on Wednesday.

An attorney for nearly 40 years, he said he has spent his whole life defending people, both in and out of the court. He served in the Marine Corps for four years in Vietnam, eventually rising to the rank of captain.

Tekulsky, who has 35 experience practicing law, ran a close race against an incumbent town justice in 2007. Justice Lisa R. Rana won by 330 votes. In the following election, she won by 1,500 votes. An East Hampton resident, Tekulsky is a former fire chief and an active member of the East Hampton Fire Department.

"I appreciate having been selected by the screening committee after an extensive screening process and I believe that my experience as both a prosecutor and as a criminal defense attorney provides the broadest view point for sitting as a town justice. I also have experience in the type of civil and zoning matters that come before the justice court as well," he said on Tuesday. "I think I have the appropriate temperament to serve as town justice."

Giannini pointed to the fact that Tekulsky and Irace both worked as prosecutors, before becoming defense attorneys. "They say defense attorneys make good judges," he said. "Too many times prosecutors become judges."

This is not the first time the committee decided not to give the nomination to Giannini, he said. The last time that Justice Catherine A. Cahill, who is retiring at the end of the year, was up for reelection, he also screened, but the committee gave her the nomination. "She was a winner, they said. It made me a little angry that she got it just because she had won," Giannini said.

Cahill also worked as a prosecutor before being elected to the bench on the Democratic party line nearly 20 years ago.